Wavelength multiplexing processing apparatus

Abstract

A wavelength multiplexing processing apparatus for use with a wavelength division multiplexing system is disclosed which uses a single AWG to achieve reduction in cost, size and loss. The wavelength multiplexing processing apparatus includes a waveguide device wherein a plurality of incoming and outgoing waveguides, a first slab waveguide and a plurality of channel waveguides are formed on a substrate, a mirror array device and a lens device. The plane direction angles of reflecting mirrors which reflect optical signal components incoming thereto are set so that reflected light of an optical signal component incoming from one of the plural incoming and outgoing waveguides may go out from one of the plural incoming and outgoing waveguides.

1. A wavelength multiplexing processing apparatus, comprising:
 a waveguide device including a substrate, a plurality of incoming and outgoing waveguides formed on said substrate each for allowing an optical signal to come in or go out therethrough, a first slab waveguide formed on said substrate and connected to said plural incoming and outgoing waveguides, and a set of a plurality of channel waveguides of different lengths from each other formed on said substrate and connected to said first slab waveguide; 
 a mirror array device including at least one mirror array wherein a reflecting mirror whose angle in a plane direction can be changed is disposed corresponding to each of the optical signals; and 
 a lens device for condensing, when a wavelength-multiplexed optical signal is introduced into said plural incoming and outgoing waveguides, optical signal components outgoing from said set of waveguides for the individual optical signal components having different light paths so that the condensed optical signal components go out to the corresponding reflecting mirrors of said mirror array device and for introducing reflected light from the reflecting mirrors to an end face of said substrate adjacent said channel waveguides; 
 the plane direction angles of the reflecting mirrors which reflect the incoming optical signal components being set so that reflected light of an optical signal component incoming from one of said plural incoming and outgoing waveguides may go out from one of said plural incoming and outgoing waveguides through said set of waveguides and said first slab waveguide. 
 
   
   
     2. The wavelength multiplexing processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said mirror array device includes a plurality of mirror arrays and the respective mirrors of said plural mirror arrays cooperate to set the plane direction angles so that reflected light of an optical signal component incoming from one of said plural incoming and outgoing waveguides may go out from one of said plural incoming and outgoing waveguides, and said lens device includes a waveguide side lens disposed at a focal position of the optical signal components going out from said plural channel waveguides. 
   
   
     3. The wavelength multiplexing processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said mirror array device includes a single mirror array, and said lens device includes a waveguide side lens disposed at a focal position of the optical signal components going out from said plural channel waveguides and a lens array including a plurality of reflecting mirror side lenses disposed in a corresponding relationship to the reflecting mirrors of said mirror array. 
   
   
     4. The wavelength multiplexing processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the plane direction angles of the reflecting mirrors by which the incoming optical signal components are reflected are set so as to perform a cross connection process of the optical signal components incoming from said plural incoming and outgoing waveguides. 
   
   
     5. The wavelength multiplexing processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the plane direction angles of the reflecting mirrors by which the incoming optical signal components are reflected are set so as to perform a light branching and inserting process of a light signal component incoming from one of said plural incoming and outgoing waveguides through one of the waveguides other than the waveguide from which the optical signal component comes in. 
   
   
     6. The wavelength multiplexing processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said waveguide device further includes a second slab waveguide formed on said substrate and connected to said plural channel waveguides, and said second slab waveguide is formed on said end face of said substrate adjacent said channel waveguides into which the reflected light from the reflecting mirrors comes. 
   
   
     7. The wavelength multiplexing processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein said second slab waveguide has a length smaller than that of said first slab waveguide. 
   
   
     8. The wavelength multiplexing processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said plural channel waveguides have ends disposed on a straight line. 
   
   
     9. The wavelength multiplexing processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said plural incoming and outgoing waveguides formed on said substrate of said waveguide device include a first incoming and outgoing waveguide and a second incoming and outgoing waveguide, and a first input port and a first output are connected to said first incoming and outgoing waveguide through a first optical circulator while a second input port and a second output port are connected to said second incoming and outgoing waveguide through a second optical circulator. 
   
   
     10. The wavelength multiplexing processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said plural incoming and outgoing waveguides formed on said substrate of said waveguide device include first and second incoming and outgoing waveguides into which the optical signals come and third and fourth incoming and outgoing waveguides from which the optical signals go out, and a first input port is connected to said first incoming and outgoing waveguide and a second input port is connected to said second incoming and outgoing waveguide and a second output port is connected to said fourth incoming and outgoing waveguide. 
   
   
     11. The wavelength multiplexing processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the four first to fourth incoming and outgoing waveguides are arranged in order of said first incoming and outgoing waveguide, second incoming and outgoing waveguide, third incoming and outgoing waveguide and fourth incoming and outgoing waveguide relative to one another. 
   
   
     12. The wavelength multiplexing processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said first input port serves as an input port for a light inserting and branching process and said second input port serves as an insertion port for the light inserting and branching process while said first output serves as an output port for the light inserting and branching process and said second output port serves as a branching port for the light inserting and branching process. 
   
   
     13. The wavelength multiplexing processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein said first input port serves as an input port for a light inserting and branching process and said second input port serves as an insertion port for the light inserting and branching process while said first output serves as an output port for the light inserting and branching process and said second output port serves as a branching port for the light inserting and branching process. 
   
   
     14. The wavelength multiplexing processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said first input port serves as an input port for a light inserting and branching process and said second input port serves as an insertion port for the light inserting and branching process while said first output serves as an output port for the light inserting and branching process and said second output port serves as a branching port for the light inserting and branching process. 
   
   
     15. The wavelength multiplexing processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said mirror array device includes a first mirror array and a second mirror array, and said first mirror array is optically connected to said lens device and is disposed such that an optical axis there of to said second mirror array is directed so as not to overlap at least with optical axes of said plural channel waveguides while said second mirror array is disposed so as to reflect incoming light from said first mirror array back to said first mirror array. 
   
   
     16. A method for wavelength multiplexing processing, comprising:
 allowing a plurality of optical signals to come in through a plurality incoming and outgoing waveguides formed on a substrate, a slab waveguide formed on said substrate, and a plurality of channel waveguides of different lengths from each other formed on said substrate; 
 condensing each of said plurality of optical signals at a corresponding reflecting mirror of a mirror array device; 
 reflecting each of said plurality of optical signals at a corresponding one of said plurality channel waveguides; and 
 allowing said optical signal to go out through said plurality of channel waveguides of different lengths from each other, said slab waveguide, and said plurality of incoming and outgoing waveguides.